Unwritten ROARS never get heard

Someone who you’re on friendly terms with is in critical condition. How do you react when you hear the news?
Speak, talk into myself
'Til it tunnels up the chimney of my soul
'Til a combustion
of steam and air and hot water
'Til I speak a cloud
that signals to God
steam signals
One white letter in the blue
I'm not sure what it means, what it wants to say
But it comes from me and it's what I meant to say:
Their name, and all around,
that intricate spiralling cushion of cloud

Someone who you're on friendly terms with is in the hospital in critical condition. How do you react when you hear the news?
----
with bated breath,
the weight of being finite lands
like a lead foot
against my lungs
&the world outside myself
empties to a shade of pale:
infinitely big.

Someone who you're on friendly terms with is in the hospital in critical condition. How do you react when you hear the news?

After arriving at the hospital:
"uh oh, looks like they got another one"
"by the way, where the hell is the coke machine around here anyways"

As of 2.20.04